I’m finished with the Hampton’s Legion and Rhode Island letters that Friend of Bull Runnings (FOBR) John Hennessy sent in. Thanks so much to John, he’s made this site so much more useful and has kicked me back onto the path of righteousness – that is, got me back to doing what I’m supposed to be doing here. Feel free to use FOBR on your resume and correspondence from here on out (time to order new stationery). I have one more item he sent that’s not exactly a letter, not exactly a memoir, not exactly a newspaper article, but is really all three so I have to figure out how to classify it first.

Next on my list is to start on some great stuff sent to me by FOBR Richard Holloway, archivist for the Louisiana National Guard at Camp Beauregard in Pineville, LA. IIRC, back in the 1930s the Works Progress Administration (WPA) gathered up all mentions of Louisiana militia in Louisiana newspapers from forever. These were transcribed and kept at the National Guard archives at Jackson Barracks. Some of these volumes were damaged as a result of Hurricane Katrina and have been preserved, but the Barracks is still undergoing repairs. The long and short of it is that Richard (who it turns out is related to the late Art Bergeron) was kind enough to scan and send all the Civil War related transcriptions. And that’s what I’ll be tackling next. I’m not sure what all is in there, if any letters are included or if it’s all articles, but expect the first one some time today.

Just a reminder: if you have, or are aware of, any diaries, letters, memoirs, newspaper articles, &c., published or otherwise, with a Bull Run significance, send them in or let me know about them. They’re a big part of what this site is all about. I do require some sort of verification, so if you have letters or diaries of ancestors that you would like added to the record here, I’ll need as much information as you can provide, and preferably images of the original documents.

Help great-great-grandpa’s/grandma’s words live on in cyberspace and contribute to the historical record at the same time!

I’ve added a new page to the Bull Run Resources, Campaign Weather. It’s just an image I created from an Excel spreadsheet I made from R. K. Krick’s Civil War Weather in Virginia, but should answer most campaign weather related questions.

“Dulce Bellum Inexpertis” has been Bull Runnings’ tag line for four years now – you can find it at the top of the column over to the right. Basically it means “War is delightful to those who have never experienced it.” I explain why I use it in more detail here.

You’ll notice a new quote below it that I just posted today. It is the close to this letterprinted in a Charleston paper in August 1861 and attributed to a Chaplain W. L. I. of Hampton’s Legion. The author’s identity is problematic: no one with those initials appears on any roster of the Legion (UPDATE: Reader Dave D points out that “W. L. I. ” probably stands for “Washington Light Infantry.” Doh!). But it’s a good letter nonetheless, and the quote captures the essence of what I’m trying to do here in the Resources section.

“I am sending you these little incidents as I hear them well authenticated. They form, to the friends of the parties, part of the history of the glorious 21st. More anon.”

There’s been a noticeable spike in readership here the past couple of months, and it’s not a spike that I can attribute to any one particular anomaly as has happened in the past. I suspect it has something to do with the sesquicentennial and the accompanying interest in events that occurred in the first year of the war. So, for the benefit of visitors who may be coming to Bull Runnings for the first time, I’ve added a new page to the masthead above, Welcome!, explaining what we’re all about. Check it out.

Bull Running’s first post was made this day in 2006. Titled Patience, it asked everyone for a little time to get things up and running, explaining that the project was a work in progress. That still applies, by the way.

I won’t belabor my stats. They are up considerably from the prior 12 month period. A lot of that increase was due to a strange occurrence regarding my son’s essay An 11-Year-Old on Abraham Lincoln. The photo that accompanied that post was for two months the number one Google image search result for Abraham Lincoln! Therefore I had about a 150% increase in viewership over that period, and my son’s post is now the number one most viewed page all time on this site. Exclusive of that, it looks like I’m up about 10%.

This blog has been a really wonderful thing for me. In addition to the outlet it provides, I believe my professional writing opportunities are a direct result of Bull Runnings; my four speaking engagements coming up in 2011 wouldn’t have happened without it; I’ve had the opportunity to virtually meet some fine folks via the comments feature, emails, and the general Civil War blogging “community”; I continue to learn more about First Bull Run in particular and the Civil War in general; and I think my writing is getting more better gooder.

So thanks for stopping by to see what I have to say. With any luck next year will see me get back on track posting to the resources section of the site. I hope you’ll stick with me for year #5!

No, not a theme on why I deserve an Official Red Ryder 200 Shot Carbine Action Range Model Air Rifle with a Compass in the Stock and this Thing which Tells Time for Christmas (and for which Miss Shields would certainly have awarded me an A++++). I’m talking about a new theme for this blog – that is, the template that makes this page appear as it does. Unlike most blogs of similar vintage, in nearly four years I’ve only had two themes for Bull Runnings. But at the suggestions of WordPress.com and fellow blogger Craig Swain, I’m considering a switch. The Coraline theme offers some pretty cool options, In fact, it looks a lot like my current theme (Freshy), but it’s more flexible with regards to colors and widgets (those little items that appear in the right hand column of this page) and other blogger-geek things. If any of you have seen this theme in use or used it yourself, I’d love to hear from you. And while we’re at it, if you have any recommendations for this blog regarding appearance or navigation, let me hear them.

Dulce bellum inexpertis

“I am sending you these little incidents as I hear them well authenticated. They form, to the friends of the parties, part of the history of the glorious 21st. More anon.”

About

Hello! I’m Harry Smeltzer and welcome to Bull Runnings, where you'll find my digital history project on the First Battle of Bull Run which is organized under the Bull Run Resources section. I'll also post my thoughts on the processes behind the project and commentary on the campaign, but pretty much all things Civil War are fair game. You'll only find musings on my “real job” or my personal life when they relate to this project. My mother always told me "never discuss politics or religion in mixed company”, and that's sound advice where current events are concerned.

The Project

This site is more than a blog. Bull Runnings also hosts digitized material pertaining to First Bull Run. In the Bull Run Resources link in the masthead and also listed below are links to Orders of Battle, After Action Reports, Official Correspondence, Biographical Sketches, Diaries, Letters, Memoirs, Newspaper Accounts and much, much more. Take some time to surf through the material. This is a work in process with no end in sight, so check back often!